COMMENT | Now that season 7 of Game of Thrones is over, the ongoing internal spat within PKR and Pakatan Harapan may take over as the biggest drama in town.

I try to stay away from the “let’s grab some popcorn” type of thing, because it always makes me think of people who are more passive spectators than active change makers, and people who get a kick out of watching others go through difficult times.

The conflict is most commonly described as those for continued negotiation with PAS, and those against.

I think that objectively, there are arguably valid reasons that support each perspective. Let’s examine those again briefly before moving the discussion to what really matters about the fight that is unfolding.

Avoiding three-cornered fights?

The more I think about it, the more it seems likely that the Azmin Ali faction is attempting to negotiate with PAS to avoid three-cornered fights for Selangor state seats in the next general election.

In doing so, I imagine Azmin (photo) will offer concessions in almost every other state.

Perhaps the real split in the party is between those who believe Selangor and its resources and patronage networks must be secured at all costs, versus those who don’t believe Selangor (under Azmin) is everything.

Those who condone continuing negotiations with PAS are correct mainly on one point: should three-cornered fights be the norm nationwide, the opposition will likely be effectively wiped out.

Those on the opposing side may disagree, perhaps out of sincere hope, or merely because that is the best front they can hope to present, regardless of what will happen.

However, the electoral math and past results do not leave much room for objective doubt.

Those who are against continued negotiations with PAS are correct mainly about this: that continuing attempts to negotiate will be useless because PAS has already made up its mind.

Could PAS compromise?

As evidence of this, I would submit that there is no record of any major PAS leader giving the slightest bit of indication whatsoever that PAS might even consider any sort of negotiation or compact with Pakatan Harapan - absolutely zero.

What we have instead is the non-stop tirade of PAS leaders, emboldened by president Abdul Hadi Awang no doubt, going on and on about how they will not work with Harapan.

If you’re wooing a boy or a girl who keeps rejecting your advances, perhaps it is time to take the hint.

If anyone advocating that PKR and Harapan should keep trying to negotiate a deal with PAS could even provide the slightest proof that PAS has been willing to give any consideration at all to the prospect of an electoral pact going into the next elections, I’m sure their position would be bolstered considerably.

Instead, they repeat the (admittedly true) fact that Harapan (and PAS) will lose in most, if not all, three-cornered contests against BN, and the general fact that one versus one is better than three-cornered fights.

I have not always agreed with parliamentarian Khalid Samad of late, but his article makes a cogent point: that Pakatan Harapan is abandoning further negotiations with PAS not because they want three-cornered fights, but because the stance that PAS is clearly taking makes three-cornered fights impossible to avoid; and that Harapan now has to do its best to prepare for that inevitability.

Negotiations will ultimately benefit who?

Khalid makes a further cogent point: even if Azmin Ali succeeds in negotiating a few concessions to ensure one-to-one fights, is that truly better for the opposition, especially outside Selangor?  

Most people recognise that PAS is looking to play a kingmaker role, that is, to position itself such that if neither BN nor Harapan can form a majority on its own, they will need the support of PAS to form a government.

In the unlikely event the seat distribution ends up that way, conceding more seats to PAS simply strengthens its position.

The pro-PAS team in PKR says it hates to be called pro-PAS, insisting that an electoral pact does not equate to an endorsement of PAS.

There is considerable doubt, however, that such a pact would truly bring mutual and equal benefits to both parties.

We must note that there is no chance that PAS would negotiate (should it be open to negotiation in the first place) away seats in which an opposition party would have a good chance.

We thus have a scenario wherein PAS is unlikely to negotiate in the first place, and even more unlikely to compromise on anything of real electoral value with either PKR or Harapan.

Rafizi not a team player

That I find the above to be true does not make me “Team Rafizi Ramli” or anything of the sort.

For one thing, I’ll predictably state that he probably started this whole mess via the Kajang Move.

Rafizi (photo) loves to write, and in his long-winded writing he has described how he no longer attends PKR politburo meetings because the long-winded arguments there (ironically) allegedly amount to nothing.

I think I have sat in on a few of those meetings back in the day, and I’m not going to lie: I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Rafizi’s observations about those meetings were spot on.

The inefficiencies and lack of a principled moral centre are also part of the reason I resigned my membership in PKR the day after the party’s de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim announced he would contest in the Kajang by-election in 2014.

I felt that resigning from the party was the only ethical thing to do if I wanted to speak my mind openly.

Rafizi’s position, on the other hand, seems to be that if the vice-president of the party does not like the way discussions are going in the politburo, he has every right to just blow them off, and do his own thing, while retaining his posts and positions.

I’m sure it’s fun to express all this bravado, and just rely on your own support base, but that’s not exactly the attitude of a team player.

And make no mistake, when it comes to forming a new government, we’re going to need team players - and a disciplined, functioning team, not a dysfunctional one.

Unbridled vitriol

Not that those attacking Rafizi are exemplifying team spirit and decorum either.

As far as attacks on Rafizi and friends go, PKR central leadership council member Latheefa Koya’s undignified language was bad enough, but the rather tired strategy of accusing your enemies of being pro-Umno (the way Rafizi once accused former PKR Selangor menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim of being pro-Umno) is getting a little, well, tiresome.

Having been personally the target of similarly false accusations by similar individuals, I cannot ascribe a whole lot of credibility to the said accusations.

The pro-PAS faction also likes to talk about how Anwar is on their side (similar to how all combatants in a war like to believe God is on their side).

I deem it likely Anwar is supportive of continued negotiations, and I think it is entirely in character for him to remain silent, and not stick his neck out until one side or another has achieved victory.

No winners except BN

The truth is, the longer this civil war goes on, the more evident it becomes that there will only be losers, and no winners (except perhaps BN).

I mean, look at the way that those in the highest levels of the PKR leadership are viciously and publicly attacking one another. Are these the people you would really feel comfortable with running the country?

One day the Harapan leadership states unequivocally that there will be no cooperation with PAS, and the next day, the PKR leadership releases a one-paragraph statement that states only one thing clearly: that they were unable to stand firmly behind the decision of the Harapan leadership. It’s chaos.

Ultimately, I don’t even think that the split within PKR is driven primarily by disagreement about PAS.

I would go so far as to say that that disagreement is more symptom than cause. Stemming from Anwar downwards, PKR has always been dominated more by personality politics than the politics of principle.

That culture of personality politics will need to change drastically if ever PKR hopes to detoxify in any meaningful way. I’d love to see this happen, as nobody wants any more years of BN.

In the meantime, for the matter at hand, I suppose the question comes back to whether any pro-PAS faction can demonstrate any proof that PAS might be willing to compromise. If not, shouldn’t we all just move on?

In this day and age, it is unwise to try and sell the public the whole “we know something you don’t” line. 

Always align your strategy around truth, not around your interests; or to repeat my favourite lesson from parliamentarian Liew Chin Tong - never fall for your own propaganda.

NATHANIEL TAN hopes for an end to political own goals.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.